With Florida Sen. Marco Rubio officially throwing his hat in the GOP presidential ring, he’s putting more than most candidates on the line: his Senate seat. In a purple state like Florida, that means both Democrats and Republicans are already eyeing the seat, including Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis, who’s one of the founding members of the House Freedom Caucus.
"Marco Rubio has done a great job in the U.S. Senate. His 2010 campaign inspired me to consider running for office, and I have no doubt that he will make a compelling candidate on the national stage. As it became clear that Senator Rubio was likely to run for president, I received encouragement to consider running for the Senate,” he said in a statement.
"The country is suffering from stagnation at home and indignities abroad,” he continued. “We need a new generation of leaders who will promote policies that will foster economic growth and alleviate the middle class squeeze, defend America's national security against those who threaten our people, reform the culture of Washington, D.C., and reassert the constitutional principles that make our country unique. Whatever shape my future service takes, I look forward to doing my part to help get our country back on track."
DeSantis will consider running over the next several weeks and promised a decision will be made soon.